The California Election Code is the body of state law that governs who can register and vote, how ballots are cast and counted, how candidates qualify for office and raise money, how voters can propose laws or recall officials, and what penalties apply when any of those rules are broken. For the 2025–2026 cycle, an individual can give a State Senate or Assembly candidate up to $5,900 per election, every active registered voter is mailed a ballot automatically, and the two top vote-getters in a primary advance to the general election regardless of party. What follows is a plain walk through the parts of the Code that most often affect voters, candidates, and donors.
Registering to Vote
You can register in California if you are a U.S. citizen, a state resident, and will be at least 18 by Election Day. You cannot register while currently imprisoned for a felony. Since Proposition 17 passed in 2020, people on parole for a felony can register and vote once they leave prison.1California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 2101 – Voter Registration Qualifications
Registration is available online through the Secretary of State, by mail, or in person at a county elections office or the DMV. The standard deadline is 15 days before Election Day.2California Secretary of State. California Voter Registration – Frequently Asked Questions Miss it and you can still use conditional voter registration during the 14 days before the election or on Election Day itself; you register and cast a provisional ballot at the county office, and the ballot counts once your eligibility is confirmed.3California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 2170 – Conditional Voter Registration
Under the California New Motor Voter Program (AB 1461), the DMV automatically registers eligible applicants when they apply for or renew a driver’s license or state ID unless they decline.4California Legislative Information. Bill Text – AB-1461 Voter Registration: California New Motor Voter Program
California does not require photo ID for most voters. You need to show identification only if all three things are true: you are voting for the first time in a federal election, you registered by mail or online, and you did not supply a California driver’s license number or Social Security number on your registration. Even then, a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, student ID, or piece of government mail will do. Without ID you can still cast a provisional ballot.5California Secretary of State. California Voter ID and Registration Requirements
How You Cast a Ballot
County elections officials mail a ballot to every active registered voter before each election.6California Secretary of State. Vote By Mail You can return it by mail if it is postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days, drop it in any secure ballot drop box, or hand it in at an in-person voting location. Drop boxes must be built from durable, tamper-evident materials, and tampering with one is a felony.7Legal Information Institute. Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 2 Section 20132 – Drop Box Design and Requirements
Voters with disabilities can use the Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail system to mark a ballot on their own computer or tablet with assistive technology. The marked ballot is printed and returned by mail, drop box, or in person; selections cannot be submitted electronically.8California Secretary of State. Remote Accessible Vote-By-Mail Precincts where limited-English-speaking residents from a single language group make up at least 3% of voting-age residents must provide translated materials.
If your schedule does not leave enough time to vote, state law entitles you to up to two hours of paid time off, taken at the beginning or end of your shift unless you and your employer agree otherwise. Give the employer at least two working days’ notice.9Orange County Registrar of Voters. California Elections Code 14000 – Time Off to Vote
The Top-Two Primary
California does not run traditional party primaries for most offices. Under the voter-nominated primary created by Proposition 14 in 2010, every candidate for a congressional or state office appears on one primary ballot, every registered voter can vote for any candidate regardless of party, and the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election even if they share a party label.10California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 8141.5 – Top Two Candidates Advance to General Election Presidential contests, local nonpartisan offices, and party central committee seats follow different rules.
Running for Office
Candidates file a Declaration of Candidacy and Nomination Papers with the appropriate elections office. The nomination period opens 113 days before the primary and closes 88 days before it; if an incumbent does not file for re-election, the deadline extends by five days for other candidates.11California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 8020 – Nomination Documents Availability and Deadlines
State Senate, Assembly, and congressional candidates need between 40 and 60 valid signatures from registered voters in the district.12California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 8062 – Nomination Paper Signature Requirements Filing fees are tied to the office’s annual salary. For the 2026 primary, State Senate and Assembly candidates pay $1,346.94 (1% of the $134,694 salary).13California Secretary of State. Candidate Filing Information – 2026 Primary Election Statewide candidates pay 2% of first-year salary; with the governor’s salary at $245,929, that fee runs roughly $4,919.14CalHR. CCCC Salaries A candidate who cannot pay can submit a petition in lieu of the fee by gathering a set number of signatures.
The occupation description printed next to your name on the ballot must accurately reflect your principal line of work, and misleading designations can be challenged and rejected.15California Secretary of State. California Code of Regulations – Ballot Designations Candidates for state and many local offices also file a Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) listing financial holdings, income sources, and real property no later than the final filing date for the Declaration of Candidacy.16California Fair Political Practices Commission. Statement of Economic Interests for Candidates
Campaign Contribution Limits and Disclosure
The Political Reform Act of 1974, passed by voters as Proposition 9, created the Fair Political Practices Commission to enforce California’s campaign finance and disclosure rules.17California Fair Political Practices Commission. About the Political Reform Act Limits adjust every two years for inflation. For the 2025–2026 cycle, individuals, businesses, and PACs can give up to $5,900 per election to a State Senate or Assembly candidate and up to $39,200 per election to a candidate for governor. Political parties have no per-candidate limit for these offices.18California Fair Political Practices Commission. State Contribution Limits and Voluntary Expenditure Ceilings Independent expenditure committees may raise and spend without limit so long as they do not coordinate with a candidate.
Candidates and committees file semiannual campaign statements due July 31 and January 31.19California Legislative Information. California Government Code 84200 – Semiannual Campaign Statements Large contributions received close to an election trigger accelerated 24-hour reporting. Political ads must identify who paid for them and list top contributors.20California Legislative Information. California Government Code 84504.1 – Video Advertisement Disclosure Requirements
Ballot Initiatives, Referenda, and Recalls
Voters can propose statutes or constitutional amendments through the initiative process, or put recently enacted legislation to a public vote through a referendum. Proponents submit the proposed text to the Attorney General, who prepares an official title and summary of no more than 100 words.21California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 9004 – Attorney General Title and Summary Signature thresholds are pegged to the last gubernatorial turnout: 5% for a statutory initiative (currently about 546,651 signatures) and 8% for a constitutional amendment (about 874,641).22California Secretary of State. Secretary of State Memorandum 26031 – Initiative Circulating and Filing Schedule Counties verify signatures by random sample or full count, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office prepares a fiscal impact estimate once a measure qualifies.
Recall thresholds depend on the office. Recalling a statewide officer such as the governor requires signatures from 12% of voters who cast ballots in the last election for that office, drawn from at least five counties with at least 1% from each. State legislators, Board of Equalization members, and judges require 20% of the last vote for the office.23California Secretary of State. Procedures for Recalling State and Local Officials Local recall thresholds scale with the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction:
- Under 1,000 registered voters: 30%
- 1,000 to 9,999: 25%
- 10,000 to 49,999: 20%
- 50,000 to 99,999: 15%
- 100,000 or more: 10%
Special Elections
When a legislative or congressional seat opens before the term ends, the Governor sets a special election by proclamation. It must be held at least 126 days and no more than 140 days after the proclamation, extendable to 200 days if it can be consolidated with another election already scheduled in the same territory.24California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 10703 – Special Election Timeline for Legislative and Congressional Vacancies If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff follows. Local jurisdictions can also call special elections for tax measures, bonds, or recalls.
Who Enforces the Rules and What the Penalties Are
Enforcement is split among several agencies. The FPPC handles campaign finance, lobbying disclosure, and conflict-of-interest matters, with authority to investigate, audit, and fine. The Secretary of State’s Election Fraud Investigation Unit focuses on voter fraud, signature forgery, and election misconduct. Serious criminal cases go to local district attorneys or the Attorney General.
On the civil side, Political Reform Act violations can bring fines of up to the greater of $10,000 or three times the amount unlawfully contributed, spent, or not reported.25California Legislative Information. California Government Code 91000 – Penalties for Political Reform Act Violations Most routine infractions are handled through administrative fines and warnings.
Election fraud is a felony. Committing or aiding fraud in connection with voting is punishable by 16 months or two or three years in state prison. Election-related bribery, including paying or being paid to vote a certain way, to stay home, or to recruit others to do so, carries the same prison term.26California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 18521 – Corruption of Voters A public official who knowingly helps someone cast a fraudulent vote, or who undermines election safeguards to enable fraud, faces the same prison sentence plus permanent disqualification from holding office in California.27California Secretary of State. Penalty Provisions